Strangers In The Night
by Red Phoenix Star
Summary: Darkness has been Seto Kaiba's constant companion. Will the light of one girl break through? Part 1. Kaiba's POV


Okay, this is something I wrote a while back while working on one of my other fics. I was typing away when inspiration hit and I **knew** I had to type it up immediately or I'd lose it forever! Then I would have **never** forgiven myself!

It should be known that I had been up all night writing this piece and I hope to write a second part soon. Yes, I like to think of myself as dedicated…either that or obsessed…I can't decide.

Anyway, you all tell me what you think of this and if people like it, I'll get to work on the second part and maybe have a third part.

Usual disclaimers apply: I don't own 'Yu-Gi-Oh!'

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** Strangers In The Night**

By

Red Phoenix Star

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**Part 1: Fading Darkness**

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Cold.

Cold and Darkness.

That's all there was. 

It surrounded me; enveloping my entire being.

There was nothing else. Not the slightest breath of warmth, not a sliver of light. This frigid air and consuming blackness was all there was.

That's all that remained inside me.

All my life, I had suffered. Suffered so my one remaining family would not. I experienced unimaginable pain; was tortured and twisted and beaten until I was barely recognizable from the child I once was. Now here I was; a shadow of my former self. No longer a happy, carefree child. I was a young man; embittered, hardened and emotionless. I was now just an empty shell of a man.

The gloom that encompasses me goes where I do. Like a heavy cloak, I wear it; letting the shadows embrace and comfort me. There is little else that can do so. They are almost consoling, these shadows. With them, a low, haunting tune follows me. It sounds mournful and familiar, yet it follows me wherever I go.

To the outside world I am a cold, ruthless machine who cares for no one but himself. I push away any person who shows me any form of kindness; any one who tries to or wants to be a friend to me.

Friend. The word rolls off my tongue like water and sounds foreign and strange coming from my mouth. What would that mean, a friend? Someone to talk to. To laugh with? I had long forgotten how. To enjoy life with. I can't remember the last time I had. To share with. To unburden myself. To trust in.

Trust 

The phrase sends a strange shiver down my spine. Why? Does the thought of opening up to someone, anyone; _frighten me?_ Does the very idea of sharing my thoughts, baring my soul to another person give me this bizarre, irrational feeling of fear?

Fear.

If there was ever a word I was familiar with, it was that. I knew fear. Felt it. Was raised by it, ruled by it from the time I was ten years old. Ever since I was taken into **his** home. I was scarred for life; physically, mentally, emotionally. He caused me more hurt than I ever imagined. He may be gone, but I have not forgotten, nor will I ever forget what he put me through. Never once did he let up in his 'lessons'. Never having a single qualm about raising his hand to a defenseless child. Always did he beat me, with his fists and his words. I felt nothing from him but rage, hatred and contempt, and I felt nothing but fear, pain and despair when he was near. All I had wanted from him, from _anyone_, was to be cared for; to be loved.

Love.

There was never a word, or an emotion for that matter; that I was most unfamiliar with than this. It's something I have vague memories of as a very small child. Something I felt and saw from my parents. My mother, who would hold me close to her and tell me I was her little boy. My father, my _real_ father; who would carry me on his shoulders and made me feel like I was on top of the world. These are faint memories that I carry with me to this day. I hardly ever think of them, but when I do, I remember the warmth and love I was bathed in, yet at the same time, I feel an injustice and a sense of anger. Anger that they had left me and my little brother; injustice that they had been taken away from me so early in my life and I was left to fend for myself and my brother from an inhuman monster.

I feel the cloud of despair come over me thick and fast. It sneaks upon me in my weaker moments, like now. When I was so focused on memories of the past, filling me with unspeakable pain. A pain I share with no one. I feel sometimes like it will choke me; dragging me under dark waves of misery and drowning me with sorrow. Usually I'm able to fight it and resume my stoic, icy attitude.

This time, though, I feel myself fighting a losing battle. I feel the despair surround me even more. I feel it tighten around my entire body and soul, trapping me in it's bitter cold embrace. It cuts me to the marrow of my bones and seeps into my heart even more than it has before. I can feel my lungs constricting; struggling for air.

All I'm able to swallow is the ice cold air that always engulfs me, making the pain inside me grow stronger. The mournful song that unceasingly follows me grows more pronounced and melancholy, which only causes my despair to grow and burrow deeper into what's left of my heart.

I lift my head, looking the sky above me, but there is no sky. Only the infinite darkness I have covered myself in. The darkness, I realize suddenly, that I allowed myself to build up around me. A darkness that I could have prevented if I had just allowed myself to feel something other than anger and pain. I see now, what so many other people have seen all along. I have brought this on myself. I allowed one man to change me into what I am now. Instead of making myself stronger to his assaults; instead of holding onto the hope that I would one day be free of him and I could live the rest of my life in peace. I allowed his words to get to me; I believed every thing he taught me, that love was for the weak and only power mattered. I listened to his rants about how nothing would be beyond my reach if I followed his ruthless ways and remembered that anyone that gets in your way should be crushed.

Now, here I was; about to be consumed by my own darkness.

Just like him.

I closed my eyes, noticing how they stung from the cold. I felt. Guilt filled me over the things I had done, the people I had hurt; all for what? They were in my way, so I dealt with them just as my 'father' would have. I felt a sudden remorse, wishing I could go back and do things differently. It was then I noticed something roll down the side of my face, cooled by the bitter chill around me.

A single tear.

'This is it,' I thought to myself with a sense of finality as the tendrils of gloom began to pull me into their embrace forever. 'I'll never see my Little Brother again. But they'll take care of him. They won't let him be alone. Everyone; even you, Mutt…' I smile sadly at my name for a certain blonde. '…I'm sorry…'

I wait….

Then…I hear it.

A voice.

_In the moonlight I felt your heart._

Quiver like a bowstring's pulse.

In the moon's pale light, you looked at me.

No body knows your heart.

It's soft at first; yet the words are so clear and achingly pure.

__

When the sun has gone, I see you.

Beautiful and haunting, but cold.

Like the blade of a knife; so sharp, so sweet.

No body knows your heart.

The voice is so sweet, so warm and gentle. I feel my heart begin to beat a little faster as the heavenly voice grows stronger; slowly drowning out the despairing tune that has always clung to me like a second skin.

__

All of your sorrow, grief and pain.

Locked away in the forest of the Night.

Your secret heart belongs to the world.

Of the things that sigh in the dark.

Of the things that cry in the dark.

By now the dark shroud that was previously swallowing me whole was receding, now almost lapping at my knees. I gazed out before me.

A beam of light had been growing out seemingly in the distance; soft and warm as sunlight. It now spread out before me, bathing me in it's comforting warmth. But it's what stood in the light that made my heart begin to race.

A delicate, bright-eyed girl stood before my wondrous gaze. Her long, auburn hair shimmering softly in the light as it flowed down to her slender waist. Her pale skin nearly glowed and her warm eyes gazed up at me with an emotion I couldn't quite recognize, but it made me feel a strange, yet very pleasant unknown warmth in my chest. She gave me the most beautiful smile I had ever seen.

I knew I was looking at an Angel.

"I know you…" Was all I could whisper.

She giggled. Like music, I thought.

"Of course you do! We've met before. You remember, don't you?" She queries at me with a slight tilt of her head.

Of course I know her. One of my first impressions of her in fact was that she was pretty cute. More than I surprised my brother, I surprised myself. Especially when I think of who her older brother is. I never really took the time to notice girls, but _she_ had caught my eye. Who would've believed it?

I nod, a smile coming slowly to my lips. Her own smile brightens, if that's at all possible.

"Did you like my song?" She asks, her deep, brown eyes gazing at me. A blush covers her porcelain cheeks, as she lowers her gaze to her feet and laces her fingers together. "I…I wrote it for…for you…" 

I could feel myself go numb with shock as my eyes widened and my jaw nearly dropped to the ground. She…she wrote that beautiful song…for _me?_ Why?

The answer became abundantly clear the instant I asked.

There was no way…she couldn't. Not this sweet angel…. Me?

The numbness I was feeling was replaced with a dizziness I'd never felt before in my life. My heart was beating so fast and I could feel it thudding loudly against my ribs. I blinked, trying to clear my head of the fog that now clouded it.

It was then I realized that I was taking too long to answer. I gazed at her again to see that her slender hands were clasped together in front of her waist.

With trembling hands, I reached out and covered her hands with mine. As I looked down, I noticed the smoky whips of darkness that had now gathered at my feet; melted and dissolved into nothingness as it touched the light. _Her_ light

"It was…beautiful," I replied in a low voice. She glances shyly up at me and gives me that same, sweet smile. I manage smile back at her and our eyes meet.

I take a step forward and I vaguely feel my hand reaching up and gently cupping her angelic face. I find myself drowning in the depths of her deep, chestnut eyes as she gazes up at me, looking perfectly content leaning against my palm and smiling that perfect smile. Her skin was soft as silk and her beautiful eyes glittered like stars.

"Why?" I whisper to her. I feel my face lower closer to hers.

"Why what?" She whispers back, leaning towards me.

My other arm at some point had slipped around her waist; her hands were now resting on my chest and I could feel her fingertips resting against my racing heart. "Why would you use that beautiful voice to sing me a beautiful song?"

Her eyelids fluttered. "Because…"

"Because…_why?_" Her lips were so pink.

"Because…I…" Long, thick lashes brush against her perfect skin…so perfect…

I feel her breathe tickle my lips. "…you…" I can barely hear myself whisper...

"…I…lo…" Her voice fades away…

Our lips meet…

…. and my eyes snap open.

I sit up quickly as I blink in surprise, trying to get focused. Snapping my head to the left, I stare out the window in time to see the sun hanging just above the eastern horizon. Morning had come.

"…a dream." I say softly to myself, reaching up to rub my eyes.

"No, not just _a_ dream," I grumble to myself as my fingers drift now to my temples. "_The_ dream…as in the dream I've been having all damn week. The dream in which I'm about to be destroyed by my own darkness…" I shudder at that part. " …then saved by…that angel. Then we…. uurrrggggghhhh!" I groaned out loud, then fell back onto my pillows, feeling frustrated, irritable and worst of all; very confused.

I let out a slow breath, trying to think, but if that dream is anything like before, it would do anything but let me think clearly.

Sure enough, my mind began to wander back through the dream. A slow smile found it's way to my lips as reached up and brushed my fingers over them. For a fleeting moment, I felt her lips touch mine. I feel myself begin to drift into a fantasy of the two of us walking along together, talking about everything and nothing. Of sitting on a beach with her, watching the sunset. Even now, I can envision her sitting beside me; my arms around her as I hold her close. Looking into her eyes as she smiles at me, then lowering my face to hers….

"URGH!!! NO!!! _NO, NO, NO!!!_ No thinking along those lines!!! No more fantasies of us together!!! No more dreaming of cute redheads with sweet voices and big brown eyes and bright smiles and soft pink lips and…..ARRGGGHHH!!!! HERE I GO **AGAIN!!!**" Angrily, I threw the sheets off of me and leaped from my bed. I stomped over to an ornate door, yanked it open and stormed into my lavish bathroom. I stride purposely to the mirror and stare at my reflection.

I look like Hell, to put it lightly. My hair was sticking up in all directions, my eyes bloodshot and I had dark rings around them as well. Plus I had so many bags under them I thought my head would fall in them!

I glare furiously at myself; angry that I allowed my attention to wander from my work to a girl I didn't even know that well. And to a rival's sister, at that! This couldn't go on.

Determinedly, I slam my hands on either side of the marble sink and stare at the mirror as if I expect it to break. "Now look here, Kaiba! You are a busy man! You don't have time for a social life! Much less a _girlfriend!_ And _certainly not_ if that girl is related in any way, shape or form to a known _rival!_ So **STOP** thinking about her and _stop dreaming about her every single night!!!"_

I stared back at myself. I notice my navy terry cloth robe hanging next to the door. A brief image of my angel wrapped up in its soft folds flitted through my mind, her red hair spilling over her shoulders and a shy smile on her lips.

I watched my face flush red with the thought. I lost it.

**_"STOP THINKING ABOUT THE DOG'S SISTER!!!!!!"_**

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That song, by the way; was from 'Princess Mononoke' I **love** that song; it's so beautiful and it fits Kaiba well.

According to Emily10, another budding author; in the Japanese version, Kaiba states privately to his little brother that, even though Serenity is Joey's sister, she is 'pretty cute.' 

**OKAY!!! WHO IS THIS GUY AND WHAT DID HE DO WITH SETO KAIBA?!**

I mean, _come on!!!_ When has Kaiba ever expressed even the _slightest_ interest in a girl?! The fact that he said this is 1. Proof that he's human underneath all that bastardness. 2. That he's a teenager with active hormones and 3. Serenity has caught his interest! However slight it may be, it's there.

All that it needs is a little…_encouragement._ ::: grins devilishly:::

Thus, this fic.

Okay, now two things.

Emily10: If you read this, _please_ tell me which episode that happens in! 

Don't forget to review!

Later!


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